Disclaimer: I do not own Toradora! I never will.

Author's Note: This was written for a challenge, even though I've wanted to write for them for a while now. Let me know how you liked this!

Only Once
Characters/Pairing: Taiga/Ryuuji
October 11, 2009

"No," he said. His expression was stern, his arms crossed over his chest. "I know what I'm forfeiting, but we really need to get going." He lied on the kitchen floor, cold cheek pressed to the tile in an attempt to avoid looking at her directly when she was dressed as such.

"Again, please?" After that plea didn't receive a reaction, she tried, "I want you." Again, she got no reaction. "Now!"

"Taiga, please," he begged. He tried to look around for some way out, but—as always—she had him pegged. She began trailing kisses along his jaw to break down his defense. "You know... you—" he stopped speaking when she suddenly straddled his waist. Light and agile, she was all over him in an instant.

Why was he the one who always had to make the important decisions? Why did he have to be the bad cop in every situation? The driving force in his life was his fiancée, sure, but... he couldn't kid himself and put his foot down half of the time. God forbid if he ever had children like her.

Making her unhappy was the last possible thing he ever wanted to do; she hardly deserved it, no matter how needy she was when it involved him. She was downright greedy when it came to sex—or anything physical—but… he could hardly complain.

Though, to an extent, the swell of pride at how much she needed him, wanted him, was good enough to last him an entire week if the mood was right.

"Only once, Taiga," he frowned. She began to distract him further with her lips forcefully pressed against his. "No more, Tai—mmph!"

His attempts to fight back were in vain.

"Once more?" she supplied, grinning at him in a way he knew he was going to be a goner if he didn't retaliate soon.

He tried to glare. "You are very selfish, you know that?"

"What about it?" As if she cared.

"How could you even say that?"

"It's not like you mind," she said, her smile evident in her voice. "I can feel it, you know. You want me." Ryuuji nearly choked in surprise, breathing suddenly becoming more difficult.

He rolled them around, boxing her in with his legs and a cabinet to their side. She was small, sure, but he could never underestimate her sleuth-like abilities. He knew that he was excited, he couldn't help such a thing, but if she could just let up a little bit, he would gladly return to this later.

With some unseen strength—which he really should have anticipated, knowing her—he was turned to lie roughly on his back as she straddled his waist yet again. Clad in only thin undergarments, his imagination didn't need much help in order to push fantasy further. By him boxing them in to the side, he managed to put himself at an even bigger disadvantage.

If he tried to run, either, she'd take him down. He had already been down that road before.

"Are you serious? Be my faithful dog and you will be rewarded," she spoke slowly as she leaned down to kiss him again, a soft purring noise from the back of her throat, spurring him on.

Her hair created a curtain around them, locking them in the moment, pushing him further away from that line he wanted to stay near. They had to get going, had to do… something he couldn't remember anymore. He was losing.

He sighed. "Can we at least get out of the kitchen?"

"Why? Shouldn't this be turning you on more?" It took a lot of effort to not roll her eyes, but she managed somehow to keep composed. "A nice, clean kitchen, not a utensil out of place," she said, trailing off as she anticipated his piquing interest.

"My mom could be back any time now," he tried. Her hands were everywhere at once, it seemed. He was beginning to get overwhelmed…

"You and I both know she won't be around until after midnight."

"And—" he stopped, then backtracked in the conversation. "Wait, what about the kitchen?"

She grinned. Finally, he took the bait. "It's nice and clean, spotless… smells good."

Oh God. "Y-Yeah?"

"Of course, Ryuuji," she replied, knowing she had finally won the battle by how her sicko was enraptured with dirty talk a la cleaning supplies. "Every pan has been washed, every piece of trash has been thrown away, and… not a single sock without its buddy in sight."

"Keep talking," he groaned, pulling her closer to kiss down the column of her neck.

"You do such an amazing job at cleaning up," she said, lacing her hands through his hair as he continued to ravage her neck. "I'm so dirty, you know… clean me up?"

With the proposition out on the table, Ryuuji could only do one thing.

"Let's take a bath together, then make up some excuse or just not go at all," he said, pulling away from her. "That's the best way to get you cleaned up."

Getting on his knees, he pulled her into his arms and hoisted the two of them off of the floor. Ryuuji walked with determined strides, altogether missing the smirk of triumph on Taiga's face.